You're going to be very popular in the corrective labor camp.
October 24, 2010 2:23 PM Subscribe
Cheesy.
Isn't using the reversed 'R' (я - pronounced 'ya') to russify English is just another nasty holdover of the Cold War era, when it was important to depict the enemy as no more sophisticated than a kindergartener? Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
posted by fredludd at 3:34 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Isn't using the reversed 'R' (я - pronounced 'ya') to russify English is just another nasty holdover of the Cold War era, when it was important to depict the enemy as no more sophisticated than a kindergartener? Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
posted by fredludd at 3:34 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
"Of course I've nicknamed my manhood. I call it 'Ivan Drago.' Cause it will break you."
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 4:07 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by You Can't Tip a Buick at 4:07 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
Have you seen cable news lately?
posted by TrialByMedia at 4:09 PM on October 24, 2010
Have you seen cable news lately?
posted by TrialByMedia at 4:09 PM on October 24, 2010
did anyones broweyas get testy?
I can still hear the accent in the 1-2-3 comedic ratio ban
posted by clavdivs at 4:10 PM on October 24, 2010
I can still hear the accent in the 1-2-3 comedic ratio ban
posted by clavdivs at 4:10 PM on October 24, 2010
If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits?
posted by exogenous at 4:13 PM on October 24, 2010 [10 favorites]
posted by exogenous at 4:13 PM on October 24, 2010 [10 favorites]
Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
Fun is fun, but the guy does like to hunt down, harass, imprison and kill journalists and other dissenters by proxy.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:15 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
Fun is fun, but the guy does like to hunt down, harass, imprison and kill journalists and other dissenters by proxy.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:15 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
exogenous, was that a spinning RITZ cracker? should use that spinning scenario for a commerical, hello RITZ are you listening?
posted by tustinrick at 4:47 PM on October 24, 2010
posted by tustinrick at 4:47 PM on October 24, 2010
Yes it is! I love the image, but I think in view of the inability of certain elements of society to understand satire, using it in a cracker commercial would end poorly for the company. Plus, you know, Putin might have someone in the ad agency defenestrated.
posted by exogenous at 5:09 PM on October 24, 2010
posted by exogenous at 5:09 PM on October 24, 2010
Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
A lot of Americans seem to be more concerned that there is a commie behind the desk.
posted by knapah at 5:16 PM on October 24, 2010
A lot of Americans seem to be more concerned that there is a commie behind the desk.
posted by knapah at 5:16 PM on October 24, 2010
Are we still afraid that there might be commies under the bed?
They're called "muslims" now.
posted by mhoye at 5:37 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
They're called "muslims" now.
posted by mhoye at 5:37 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
This is actually pretty close to Putin's view of himself. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he's a fan of the strip.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:51 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:51 PM on October 24, 2010 [2 favorites]
I was coming in to make the same point as fredludd - I can't stand seeing a "ya" used as an "R" in English text about Russia. It's usually a sign that the material to follow is gonna be some lazy hack mess packed with jokes about how harsh Russians are or some other tiresome stereotype. By the looks of these comics, this pattern seems to hold. #LOLZLABORCAMPZ.
posted by EatTheWeek at 6:32 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by EatTheWeek at 6:32 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can't stand seeing a "ya" used as an "R" in English text about Russia.
Really? This upsets people who aren't Russian teachers? It's a visual convention that conveys the foreign nature of the text while remaining readable. What's the problem?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:48 PM on October 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Really? This upsets people who aren't Russian teachers? It's a visual convention that conveys the foreign nature of the text while remaining readable. What's the problem?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 6:48 PM on October 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Where does Putin shop for toys?
posted by adamg at 6:59 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by adamg at 6:59 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
I hate the "ya" thing, too. It's not political, it's just "glargh, do you not notice how wrong this is?!?" I also send typo notes to newspaper editors and denigrate the English-language skills of whoever it is at the Kremlin that does the translated version of Medvedev's Twitter feed. It's never exactly what they said in Russian. Again, I say, glargh.
posted by SMPA at 7:23 PM on October 24, 2010
posted by SMPA at 7:23 PM on October 24, 2010
PEDANTS ON THE INTERNETS?!?!?!
posted by adamdschneider at 7:35 PM on October 24, 2010
posted by adamdschneider at 7:35 PM on October 24, 2010
In Soviet Russia, Tumblr Blogs make Unfunny Hipsters!
posted by KingEdRa at 8:19 PM on October 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by KingEdRa at 8:19 PM on October 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Here we have obvious jokes, telegraphed punchlines, forced situations, and an overall sloppy presentation.
Obviously, the thing to criticize is the backwards "R".
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:13 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Obviously, the thing to criticize is the backwards "R".
posted by Curious Artificer at 9:13 PM on October 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Really? This upsets people who aren't Russian teachers?
I learned how to read the Cyrillic alphabet on my own, and now every time I see the letter "ya" used in that way, I don't read it as the letter R and spend a split second being confused by it. It's kind of annoying.
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:15 PM on October 24, 2010
I learned how to read the Cyrillic alphabet on my own, and now every time I see the letter "ya" used in that way, I don't read it as the letter R and spend a split second being confused by it. It's kind of annoying.
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:15 PM on October 24, 2010
I was excited before I clicked. Then I was disappointed-- they're just not very funny. Putin seems like he should be fertile ground for something like this too, but the reality of Putin is already so over-the-top that there might not be much room for parody.
For instance, if someone told me earnestly that Putin kept a pet tiger, I wouldn't automatically discount that. He's ridiculous enough that he might do that. I bet if he had one he would grimly throw hunks of meat over the tiger's enclosure, frowning for the press and probably shirtless.
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:24 PM on October 24, 2010
For instance, if someone told me earnestly that Putin kept a pet tiger, I wouldn't automatically discount that. He's ridiculous enough that he might do that. I bet if he had one he would grimly throw hunks of meat over the tiger's enclosure, frowning for the press and probably shirtless.
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:24 PM on October 24, 2010
I hate the Я too, but I hate the English-with-a-line-over-it-to-signify-Indianness more.
posted by goodglovin77 at 10:27 PM on October 24, 2010
posted by goodglovin77 at 10:27 PM on October 24, 2010
Mayor Curley - You might be interested in what Putin received for his birthday a couple years back.
Also, I feel like this is as good a thread as any to drop my favorite bit of Putin-related strangeness.
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:42 AM on October 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, I feel like this is as good a thread as any to drop my favorite bit of Putin-related strangeness.
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:42 AM on October 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Now I'm curious. Do Russians do the reverse to convey English speech?
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:16 PM on October 25, 2010
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:16 PM on October 25, 2010
Also, I feel like this is as good a thread as any to drop my favorite bit of Putin-related strangeness.
I love the French subtitling in that video that says he must be like 'poutine'.
posted by knapah at 5:28 AM on October 26, 2010
I love the French subtitling in that video that says he must be like 'poutine'.
posted by knapah at 5:28 AM on October 26, 2010
You might be interested in what Putin received for his birthday a couple years back.
What he got for his birthday this year also seems a bit strange.
posted by LeLiLo at 6:56 PM on November 3, 2010
What he got for his birthday this year also seems a bit strange.
posted by LeLiLo at 6:56 PM on November 3, 2010
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